Game apparatus



` Feb. 27, 1940. H. E. wiLLlAMs GAME APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 27, 1940.

H. E. WILLIAMS GAME APPARATUS Filed March 16. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR Har/y E I/l/z'/ [Jams if QJ/J CMA/mv His ArroRNEw @@wwm@Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATEN-T-0FF1CE 2,191,735 y l GAMEr.iPMmrrUs Harry E. Williams, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner,A l by mesneassignments, to Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill.,v acorporation of Delaware Application March 16, 1936,. Serial No. 69,154 1claim. (ci. 1o1 fs6) l This invention relates to` game apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatuswhich is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficientin use.

Another object of the present invention-is to provide a new and improvedscore-recording device which is particularly adapted for use Iinconjunction with amusement or game apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is to.

provide a new and improved score-recordingA device which is particularlyadapted for use in conjunction with amusement or game apparatus of theso-called pin and marblegamev type.

Additional objects of the present invention,

are: to provide a novel auxiliary and coinoperated control device forthe resetting mechanism for the printing drum and whichcontrol device isrendered effective to reset the printing drum when the ball-retainingmember is;` being-1rel turned to initial position after operationthereof; to provide a main and -non-coin-operated control device for theprinting and web-severing mechanism; to construct the auxiliary controldevice for the printing and :web-severing mechanism in such a mannerthat the same works in conjunction with the coin slide, when the latter'is operated, to operate the printing and web-severing mechanism in theevent that theplayer. for any reason, fails to operate the Ina-in andnon-ccin-operated control device for the printing and web-severingmechanism lafter completing a game; and to construct the web-advancingdevice in such a manner that the :same is operated by the coin slide andassociated mechanism only after the printing and web-severing operationshave been effected by operation of the auxiliary control device for they,printing and web-v severing mechanism.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists thenovelcombination and arrangement of ,parts to be hereinafter f Fig. 3 vis aview on -line V3 3 in Fig. 1, partly in elevation and partly` insection, showing certain parts of the operating mechanism for thescore-recording device;

Fig. 4 is apsectional view on lmet-4in Fig. 1, showing certain parts ofthe score-recording device and the operatingmechanism therefor;

Fig. 5 isa sectional detail` View on linev 5 5 in Fig; 1 showing thearrangement of the inking rollers relative to the printing drum.; v

-Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6-7-6 in Fig.

1; showing the impression-transmitting and weby10 c n severing` deviceand showing the main ory noncoin-operated control device therefor;

Fig. 7 is a plan viewfshowing certain parts of the web-advancing device,and also showing certain parts of the auxiliary control device for thef15 impression-transmitting and web-severing device; y y f Fig.' 8 is abottom plan view of a part, ofthe web-advancing devicel shown in Fig.v7;

Fig. 9'is a lschernaticdiagram of anelectrical 20` circuit embodied inthe invention; and Fig. 10 is a perspective'detail View of the controlswitch for the resetting Vmechanism for lthe printing drum.

A preferred form of the present invention 'is shown in` thevdrawings, istherein generallyindicated at Ill,v and vis shown arranged in thecabinet II of a so-called pin and marble game, said cabinet including aninclined playing board I2 which is provided with ball exit openings I3.30

Slidably mounted in the cabinet II, below the v inclined playing vboardI2, is a vball-retaining 1 member I4 which is provided with ball exitopenings I5 and these exit openings I5 are normally disposed inregistration with the ball exit 35 l openings I3. Likewise formed in`the inclined playing board I2 is a, ball-receiving ,pocket 93 (Fig. 2)and the lower `end portion yof the ballretaining 'member I4 is adaptedtov temporarily retain or-support balls in this pocket 93. 40

Arranged ineach of the `ball-receiv'ing pocketsl j or exit openings l5`is a resilient switch element It and thisswitch element I6 is engageablewith a relativelystationary switch elementy I1, each pair of 'theseswitch elements 'I5 and I1 forming .45

aswitch I8.` These switches I Barearranged-inf an electrical circuitVIll (Fig.` 9) which also includes .a suitable source of `current 2li,which may be, for example, a lbattery'of .dry cells or the like arrangedinthe cabinet II. Likewise arrangedin 50 this circuit'y I9 is anelectromagnet 2I and when l a ball enters one of thepockets I3 itclosesjthe corresponding switch I 8 and `drops through the correspondingball exit opening I5 in theslidable ball-.retaining member vI4.,Ywhenceit [will fall intol is xed on a horizontal shaft 28, this shaft 28 beingrotatably mounted in an upright supe.

porting frame 29 which is arranged in the cab-I inet Arranged on theshaft y28 is a resetting coil spring 19 (Fig. 4). y

likewise mounted on and xed to the horizontal shaft 28 is a printingorrecording drum 3|) and engageable with this printing drum 39 are spacedupper and lower inking 1rolls 3| and 32 (Fig. 4).

Engageable with the ratchet 21, to prevent retractive movement of thesame, is an arm 33A of a latch dog 34, this latch dog 34 being pivotallymounted, at 35, and having an arm 36 which isr attractable byanelectromagnet 31 which is 'arranged in an auxiliary circuit 89 (Fig. 9),which is associatedwith' the principal circuit I9.

Arranged in the cabinet is a web 38 of imprint-receiving material, suchas-paper, or the like, and this-web 38 is advanced-relative to and pastthe printing drum 38 4by means of a webadvancing roll y39 which isrotatably mounted in the cabinet Il, `for movement in a horizontalplane, upon a vertically extending shaft 4| (Fig. 4).. Provided on theperipheryI of the webadvancing roll .39 are lugs 40 and. these lugs 40are engageable in corresponding openings which are formed in the vweb38.

Mounted on the shaft 4|, to which the webadvancing roller 39 is fixed,is a ratchet 42 and engageable with this ratchet 42 is a 'pawl 43 whichis pivotally mounted upon a rocker arm 44, and this rocker arm 44floats, that is, is loosely mounted upon the shaft 4| (Figs. 7 and 8).Engageable with the ratchet 42, to prevent retrograde movement of thesame, is a latch' dog 45. Carried by the rocker arm 44 is a roller 46(Figs. 1 and 7) and engageable with this roller 46 is an end portion 9|of an elongated bar 41 which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as-

at 48 (Fig. 1) in the cabinet Il. Pivotally connected to this bar 41, atone end of the same,`

as at 49 (Fig. 1), is a link 5|)land this link 5|) is pivotallyconnected at its other end, as at 5|, to a coin slide 52 which isslidably mounted in an end wall 53 of the cabinet Pivotally connected tothe rocker arm 44, as at 54 (Fig. 7), is an arm 55 and this arm 5 5 ispivotally connected, at one end, as at 56, to an arm 51 which ispivotally mounted on a vertical shaft 58 (Figs. 1 and rI) Likewisepivotally mounted on the shaft 58 that is, iloating thereon, is anoperating member 59 which has a laterally projecting arm 60 and this arm68 of the member 59 is engageable with the web-severing andimpression-transmitting device or member 6I which is pivotally mountedinthe cabinet as at 62, this urging and web-severing device 6| includinga knife edge 81 and a resilient or pressure member 86 (Fig. 6). Mountedin the cabinet upon the supporting wall 69 is a stationary knife edge 98which cooperates with the knife edge: 81 to form a shear.

The rocker rarm 44 is normally urged in a counterclockwise direction(Fig. '1) by aspring 63 which has one end attached, as at 64, to therocker arm 44, the other end of this spring 63 being attached to thepivotal connection 56 between the link 55 and the arm 51 (Fig. 7). Theoperating member 59 and the web-severing and pressure member 6| arenormally urged (in a clockwise direction, Figs. '1 and 6, respectively),by a spring 91 which has one end portion thereof attachedto the member6| (Fig. 6), the other end of the spring 91 being anchored in thecabinet movement of the member 59, under the .action of the spring 91(clockwise, Fig. '1) being limited by a stop 65 with which the member 59"is engageable, this stop 65 being formed on a. stationary uprightmember 94 which is arranged in the cabinet il. Formed on this member 94is a cam edge 92 (Fig. '1) and adapted to ride this cam edge 92-is apawl 66 which is pivotally mounted on the arm 51. This pawl 66 is urgedby a spring |09 into engagement with a notch 61 which is provided in theperipheral edge of the member 59 (Fig. 7).

The web 38 is fed through a guide slot 68 which is formed in an uprightwall 69 of the supporting frame 96 (Fig. 6) and the web-severing andpressure member 6| is normally urged away from, or out of engagementwith, the web 38 by means of the spring 91 (Fig. 6).

Attached to and depending from the slidable ball-retaining member |.4(Fig. 10) is an arm 1|, and mounted on a vertical support 15 which isarranged in the cabinet Il, below the ballretaining member |4, is aswitch 14 whichrincludes a relatively movable member 12 and a relativelystationary member 13.

Pivotally mounted on the support 15 (Fig. 10)

adjacentl theA switch 14is a switch-operating member 16 and thisswitch-operating'member 16 includes a central portion 11, and alaterally extending arm 69, which arm 99 is adapted toA be engaged bythe depending arm 1| of the ballretaining member I4.

The switch-operating member`16 likewise includes an arm 18, to which fposition the central portion 11 thereof engages with the movable elementor contact 12 of the switch 14; the relative rigidity or strength ofvthe movable switch element or contact 12 being suflicient to offset orcounteractthe tendency of the spring 19 to move the resilient switchelement or contact 12 into engagement with the stationary switch elementor contact 13.

Slidably mounted in the end wall 53 of the cabinet (Fig. 6) is a mainand non-coin-operated control member or plunger which is normally urgedoutwardly into its initial position (right to left, Fig. 6) by aresetting spring 8|, this plunger 88 having an inner end portion 82which is engageable with the web-severing and pressure member 6I.

Provided in4 the cabinet is a delivery chute 83 (Fig. 6) and this chute83opens at its lower end, exteriorly of the cabinet Il, through anoutlet or delivery tray 84 which is formed in the end wall 53 of thecabinet Il.

Pivotally mounted` as at IBI in the cabinet is a dash pot 85 (Fig. 1)and this dash pot 85 includes a.v movable element or piston rod |96which is pivotally connected, as at |61, to the member 55, 4for a.reason to be explained hereinafter.

Operation When a ball, gravitating over the inclined playing board'iZ,enters into one of the ball- -latter at 62 (counterclockwise, Fig. 6).

and bends the latter downwardly (from full tof dotted line position,Fig. 2)', thus causingy the said flexible element or contact I6 toengage the corresponding stationary switch element or contact I1 and`thus close the corresponding switch I8, and the circuit I9.

When the circuit I9 is thus closed it energizes the electromagnet 2l,vwhereupon the latter attracts it's movable element or armature 22,there. by pivoting the latter, at 23 (clockwise, Fig. 3), against theaction of its resetting spring 85, and this movement of the member 22pivots `the arm 24 thereof, at 25, -relative to thepawl 26, therebymoving the pawl 26 into engagementv with the,l

ratchet 21 and thus moving the ratchet 21, shaft 28, and the printingdrum 30 a circumferential distance (counterclockwise, Fig. 3) equaltothe circumferential distance between two of the teeth on the ratchet21. In this manner the printing drum 3U is advanced, relative to the web38, by the action of the played ballsentering the ball-receiving pocketsI3 in the inclined playing board I2'.

After completing this printing drum-advancing operation, the spent rballwill roll off the resilient and flexible contact I6 into the ballreturn` runway 95 for return to the elevating means (not shown). j

When the printing drum 3U is thus advanced, in a circumferential step bystep movement, re1- ative to the webr38, the spring 10 is tensioned sothat it may reset the printing drum in a manner to be explainedpresently. After the player has completed playing a `game upon the gameapparatus which embodies the present invention,

he may cause a ticket, having the score of hisy game printed thereon, tobe dispensed from the cabinet II, through the delivery outlet 84, byl ipushing in on the main control member or l plunger 80. When themaincontrol member or plunger 80 is pushed in (left to right, Fig. 6) theinner end of the same engages' the web-severing and pressure member 6Iand thereby pivots the During this operation the resilient or pressurearm 86 of the member 6I engagesthe free end portion of the web 38 andforces the same into printing engagement with the peripheral surface ofthe printing drum 30, which surface may be provided by a rubber bandarranged upon the drum 30, this printing surface being inked by theinking rollers 3 Iv and 32. When the free 'end portion of the web 38 isthus forced into printing engagement with the printing surface of thedrum 30 the knife edge 81 (Fig. 6) of the member 6I engages the free endportiony of the web 38 and coacts with the member 98 to sever theprinted free end portion of the web 3.8 from the body' of the same,whereupon the plunger 'may be released so that the thus printed andsevered free end portion of the web 38 will drop onto the delivery chute83, whence it will fall, by gravity,

into the delivery outlet or tray 64 and from which it mayibe picked upby they player.

In thek use of the present invention the resetting of the printing drum30 back into its initial position is effected by operation of theslidable ball-retaining member I4, which is moved (left to right, Fig.2), by the action of the coin slide 52 when the latter is pushed in, theinner end portion ofthe coin slide engaging the depending arm 88 of theball-retaining `member I4.

When the slidable ball-retaining member I4 is Il, thus pushed in (leftto right, Figs. 2 and 10) the depending arm 1l thereof (Fig. 10)lengages the laterally extending arm- 99 lof the switch operating member16 and thereby pivots the latter (counterclockwise, Fig. 10) against theaction of its resetting spring 19, and during this operation thedepending arm 1I passes or moves by the lateral arm 99 of theswitch-operating member 16. However, when the ball-retaining member I4is returned to its initial position, (right to left, Fig. l0), (by aresetting spring not shown) the depending arm 1I thereof engages thelateral arm 99 of the switch operating member 16 and thereby pivots theswitch-operating member 18 (clockwise, Fig. 10), thus moving the centralportion 11 of the switch-operating member 18 into engagement with themovable element or contact 12 of the switch 14, and thereby forcing theresilient switch element or contact 12 into engagement with thestationary switch element or contact 13 and thus closing the switch 14,after which the depending arm 'H passes or moves by the lateral arm 99so that the member 16 is free to move back into normal position (Figs. 2and 10) by action of the movable element 12 of the switch 14. A

When the switch14 is thus closed, it closes the auxiliary circuit 89(Fig. 9) to the electromagnet 31, and thereby energizes theelectromagnet 31, and when the electromagnet 31 is thus energized itattracts the arm 36 of the latch dog 34 and thereby pivots the latter,at (clockwise, Fig. 3), against the action of its resetting spring 90,thus moving the arm 33 of the latch dog 34 out of latching engagementwith the teeth of the ratchet 21, whereupon the tensioned resettingspring 1I), on the shaft 28 (Fig. 4) will return the printing drum 3Uback into its initial or zero position,

it being understood that the lapse of time required for the dependingarm 1I to pass the laterally extending arm S9 is suicient to allow theforegoing resetting operation to take place, andk that when the switch14 is returned to normal position the tensioned resetting spring 9E)(Fig. 3) will then urge the arm 33 of the latch dog 34 back intolatching engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 21 so asy to preventretroactive or retrograde movement of the latter. It will thus be notedthat the printingv drum 39 is reset back into its initial position uponthe return stroke of the ball-retaining member i4 (by the closing of theswitch 14), and the reason why this resetting operation takes place atthisl time will' be made apparent presently.

When the coin slide 52 is pushed in (left to right, Fig. l) it alsomoves the link 5i) and this link 59 acts upon the arm 41 to pivot thelatter rat 48 (clockwise, Fig- 1) and during this operament of the arm51 the pawl 66, vengaging in the notched portion 61 of the operatingmember 59,

pivots orrocks themember 59, on the shaft 58- (ccunterclockwise, fromfull to dotted line position, Fig '1). During this operation the later--ally extending arm 6U of the member 59 engages the member 6I and therebypivots the latter, at

This movef 62 (counterclockwise, Fig. 6), thus 'causing the resilientportion or arm 86 of the member 6| to engage the free end portion of theweb 38 in the event it has not been removed by the plunger 88 andthereby force the same into printing engagement with the printing drum38, whereupon the cutting portion or knife edge 81 of the mem-v ber 6|engages the free end portion of the web 38 and coacts with the knifeedge 98 to sever the thus printed free end portion of the web 38 fromthe body of the same, whereupon, the thus printed and severed free endportion of the web 38 will drop by gravity into the delivery chute 83and will thence fall into the delivery outlet 84.

As the operating member 59 is pivoted (counterclockwise, from full todotted line position,

'i member 59, whereupon the tensioned resetting spring 91, will pivotthe member 6| back into its initial position (as in Fig. 6). During thisoperation the member 6| engages or bears against the laterally extendingarm 68 of the operating member 59 and thereby pivots or rocks the latterabout the shaft 58, back into its initial position (clockwise, fromdotted to full line position, Fig. 7), and at the end of this movementthe pawl 68 and the arm 51 are still in dotted line position, Fig. 7,and are retarded in their return to initial position in a manner to bedescribed presently.

In this manner the free end portion of the web 38 is printed, and theprinted portion thereof is severed from the body of the same, byoperation of the coin slide 52, so that in the event that a player whohas made a relatively low score, or for any other reason fails tooperate the main control member or plunger 8|) and print his score uponthe free end portion of the web 38, and sever the same from the body ofthe web 38, this ticket printing and web-severing operation will,nevertheless, be performed when the next succeeding player moves thecoin slide 52 into full stroke position and` it will be noted, in thisconnection, that thisy auxiliary ticket-printing and web-severingoperation takes place slightly prior to the time that the web-advancingoperation (which will `be described presently), takes place, as will nowbe explained, so that a clean, that is, unprinted, portion of the web 38will be presented to the printing surface of the printing drum 38 tohave imprinted thereon the score of the next succeeding game played uponthe apparatus with which the present invention is associated.

When the coin slide 52 is released and is returned to its initialposition (by a resetting spring not shown) the member i1-9| ,is returnedto its initial position (as in Figs. 1 and 7) whereupon the tensionedspring 63 actsl upon the rocker arm 44 to pivot the same and the pawl 43carried thereby,'upon the shaft'dl (counterclockwise, from dotted tofull line position, Fig. 7), and during this movement of the rocker arm44 and pawl 43 the latter engages the ratchet 42 and thereby rotates theratchet 42, shaft 4|, and the web-advancing roll 39, which is mountedupon the shaft 4|, a circumferential distance equal to thecircumferential distance between vtwo of the teeth. on the ratchet 4.2.yThis movement lof the web-advancing roll 39 advances the-free end.portion of the web 38 through theguide slot 68 (Fig. 6)- and relative toand past the printing drum 3|), and between the latter `and the pressureand rWeb-severing member 6|-86-81.

Upon the return of the rocker arm 44 lto initial position the arms 55vand 51 are likewise returned to initial position (dotted to full line;Fig. 7) by the action'of the tensioned spring 63 Howevenit is to benoted that .the movement:

of the rocker arm 44 and arms 55 and 51 to.-

ward their initial position is retarded by the.

pivotal connection `|91 of the piston rod |96 of the dash pct to the arm55, thereby assuring a gradual movement of the web 38 along. its paththrough the guide slot 68 into impres-` sion-receiving position, thatis, into a position between the web severing andprinting member 6| andthe printing drum 30.

It will thus be seen that if, for any reason,

the player does not operate the main control member or plunger 88 toperform the Web-printing and severing operations, at the end ofga game,these printing and web-severing operations;

will nevertheless be performed by .the .auxiliary control device52-58-41--9I--56-44-55-51 -66-61-59 for the printing and web-severing orurging device 6|-86-81 when the coin slide 52 is again operated, thatis, onthe inward stroke of the coin slide 52 (left to right, Figs.

1 and 2), and it will further be noted, in this. connection, that theauxiliary control device` 52-50-41-9|-48--44-55-51-66-61-59 for. theprinting and web-severing, `or urging, de-

ward stroke of the coin slide 52 (left to right,- Figs. 1 and 2), causesthe printing and websevering device 6|-86-81 to perform the printing andweb-severing operations prior tov the time that the printing'drum 30 isreset back-y into its initial position by its resetting springv 10,since this operation of resetting the printing drum 38 takes place onthe return movement of the ball-retaining member I4 (and coinslide 52),when the depending arm 1| of the ball-retaining memberg|4 engages thelateral arm 99 of the switch-operating member 16 to close the control.switch 14 (Fig. 10) for the electromagnet 31. It is thus assured thatthe Web-severing and printing operations will always take place, throughthe operation of the auxiliary and coin-operated control devicef525I-50-49--41-9|4644f54 55-51-66 61-59-69, for the printing andweb-severing device 6|-86-81 even though the player fails to, orneglects to, operate the main and noncoin-operated control device 88-82for the printing and web-severing device 6|-86-81 at the end of a game.l

While I have illustrated land described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my Y invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without rdeparting from thev spirit of theinvention'. I, therefore, do notwish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire' to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaim. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is: I

The combination with a game apparatus comprising areciprocable-'coinslide andlaswitch closable by a game playing member,of a score printing drum, means tending to return said drum to agiven'position, means controlled by said switch for actuating said drumto a score printing position upon closure of said switch by a playingmember, means for retaining said drum in said position against theaction of said returning means, means for feeding the web seetion intoprinting position with respect to said drum, web severingy means, meansactuatable by said coin slide during a stroke thereof in one meansoperable by said slide during a stroke thereof in the opposite directionfor eieoting the operation of said web feeding means for feeding asucceeding section of the Web into printing position and effecting therelease of said drum by said retaining means for restoration of the sameto initial position by said drum return means.

HARRY E. WILLIAMS.

` direction for effecting the printing of a score upon said web sectionandv severing the same, and

